One News Now: Combating ‘Alarmism’ and the Resulting Hysteria

A women's organization says despite Americans living in a “culture of alarmism,” it's not going to accept things the way they are. Toward that end, they have launched a new website geared to empowering women – in their role as major consumers – so they can counter alarmism.

The Independent Women's Forum has created CultureofAlarmism.org, a website that breaks down a variety of issues in hopes of exposing and counteracting that alarmism. Senior fellow Julie Gunlock says the goal of the project is to reassure mothers – but certainly all women – that some of the things they hear, see, and read these days are not factually based.

"Mothers are worried that they're not feeding their kids correctly or that there might be some scary chemical in particular products, or whether they hear things about particular energy sources or agriculture methods,” says the IWF spokeswoman. “There’s just a lot of fear mongering out there, and we want to reassure women that much of it – frankly most of it – is being driven by junk science."

And that, says the website, has led to an “overreaction” to such things as sugar, new childhood “disorders,” and the country’s energy sector. The website also expresses concern about government over-regulation that results from alarmism.

“... Legislators at all levels of government use this alarmism to justify new regulations and programs to expand their power and leave our country fundamentally less free,” it states. And women, it continues, need to stay informed on various topics so they are able to counter “those who seek to ever-expand government in the name of protecting women.”

"Apparently, these things are [viewed as] a potential threat,” Gunlock tells American Family News. “People are actually on record – both parents and school administrators – saying that in order to protect the children they needed to ban these things.

“This is another case of ‘Ripley's Believe It or Not,’” she concludes. “I certainly thought I was reading an Onion article when I first read this."

The Onion is a satirical news website and weekly publication.

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Independent Women’s Forum’s mission is to improve the lives of Americans by increasing the number of women who value free markets and personal liberty. Sister organization of Independent Women’s Voice.